


And

by Lepord257



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, only sad times here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 10:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16239542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lepord257/pseuds/Lepord257
Summary: Two years after she settles into her last body, Lup overhears Taako talking to Kravitz about the Decade.





	And

They’re always an And. Lupandtaako. Takkoandlup. And and and and

Even if they weren’t identical, they’d be an And. Even after they aren’t identical, they’re an And.

Lup thinks Taako is perfect. He’s mean and selfish and vain and beautiful and talented and a genius and loyal and dangerous. He’s an ice sculpture: Fragile and wonderful. Sharp enough to cut and cold enough to burn.

Lup has no subtlety. She’s brash and loud and could blind the sun if she wanted to. People love her because she’s visible. They hate her because of what she makes them see. They love Taako for his wit. They hate him for the way it cuts between their ribs.

Two years after she settles into her last body, Lup overhears Taako talking to Kravitz about the Decade. “I was -- I was _worse_ without her, Krav,” he says, and she leans against a wall just outside the doorway. It’s not eavesdropping for them. Not for an And. “Not just because I was lonely. Or because she makes me kinder. She’s -- she’s just _good_ , Krav. She’s the sort of person you want to be worthy of. And I didn’t realize that before.” 

Lup, slowly and deliberately, touches the pads of her fingers to her thumb one-by-one. She’s not unused to being put on a pedestal is the thing. She’s Lup. She’s _fantastic._ But Taako never has. He couldn’t. They’re an And; they share a reputation the way they share clothes and food and secrets.

“It must have been hard,” Kravitz says, rubbing his back. Taako relaxes into his touch in a way he hasn’t relaxed for anyone but the six of them for as long as Lup can remember. “It’s clear you love each other very much.”

Pointer, middle, ring, pinky. Taako sighs. “Before, even in cycles where she died, I still had her, y’know? The parts of our- of my personality that was both of us. You know how you’ll pick things up from people? Habits? Or phrases?” Kravitz nods. “We did that too. Only we were so close we couldn’t tell who was picking up what from who. It was just _us.”_ Pinky, ring, middle, pointer. “And then she was gone. And so were all the things I’d picked up from her. And I wasn’t a person I liked anymore.”

Pointer, middle, ring, pinky. Pinky, ring, middle, pointer. “I’m sorry, Love.” Pointer middle, ring, pinky. She doesn’t envy Kravitz right now. There are no easy words to make this mess better.

“I know it’s terrible, but I can’t help but think -- She loves me, _obviously,_ and I love her, no matter what, but I can’t help but wonder-” He trails off. Pinky, ring, middle, pointer. “If it had been the other way around…” Lup can’t see their faces from here, but she knows Taako well enough that the image of his tiny frown in her mind’s eye is photo-realistic. Pointer, middle, ring, pinky. “If it had been the other way around, would she have been better?”

Kravitz stops rubbing Taako’s back and pulls him in for a hug instead. Lup doesn’t hear anything that Kravitz murmurs in her brother’s ear. It’s too quiet, even for an elf’s hearing and the scant few feet she has on them. She flexes her fingers and retreats down the hall.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of feelings about Lup and Taako ok


End file.
